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uk
Produced by Italy Magazine
Copyright Italy Magazine 2012

Introduction

Lesson 1: Amazing Food

Lesson 2: Stunning Landscape

Lesson 3: Romantic language

Lesson 4: Friendly People

Dual Language: Il Circolo

10

Crosswords: Test your Vocabulary

13

Practise and Sing

15

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Introduction
Dear Italy Magazine readers, we know many of you are in love with Italian,
one of those languages you want to learn simply because you fall in love with
its melodic, musical sound.
Our language lessons and dual language articles are usually very popular, so
we decided to prepare an ebook to help you get your Italiano ready for your
next trip to Italy.
The e-book includes four lessons by Italian language teacher Alesha Keene,
an Oxford graduate of Italian who lived in Rome for five years. Her love for
this beautiful language led her to develop some interesting ways for teaching it.
We share four of her lessons developed around different topics: Amazing Food,
Stunning Landscape, Romantic Language and Friendly People.
To test your language skills, you can then work on our dual language article which actually suggests ways to set up a circolo (club) to get people who
want to learn Italian together and, set up language classes and special events.
See how we circled around (pun intended) on the topic!
As we imagine you reading your ebook while relaxing on a hot summer day
on the beach, enjoying a glass of Italian wine in your garden or sitting on a
plane on your way to Italy, we added a crossword to let you test your newfound
skills and have some fun at the same time.
Finally, we included the lyrics of Andrea Bocellis famous song Con Te Partir`
o.
What a better way to practice this musical language if not singing a wonderful
song.Buon divertimento!

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Lesson 1: Amazing Food

We all know famous Italian dishes such as Spaghetti, Lasagne, Pizza Margherita, but what about some tasty Roman food treats? Suppl`: balls of rice in
a little tomato sauce filled with mozzarella and deep fried Filetti di baccal`
a:
battered cod fillets Fiori di zucca: Courgette flowers which are deep fried and
filled with mozzarella and anchovies.
All of the above are called fritti (fried food) and are often eaten as an antipasto (starter) at the pizzeria. Roman pizze have a thinner and crispier base
than Neapolitan style pizze.
But what about some tasty Roman food treats?
Suppl`: balls of rice in a little tomato sauce filled with mozzarella and deep fried.
Filetti di baccal`
a: battered cod fillets.
Fiori di zucca: Courgette flowers which are deep fried and filled with mozzarella and anchovies.
All of the above are called fritti (fried food) and are often eaten as an antipasto (starter) at the pizzeria. Roman pizze have a thinner and crispier base
than Neapolitan style pizze.
Some Roman piatti (dishes) include:
Pasta alla gricia: pasta with pancetta-like guanciale, pecorino cheese and
pepper.
Bucatini allamatriciana: long pasta like spaghetti with a hole through the
middle, the sauce is tomato based, with the ingredients used in gricia.
Pasta cacio e pepe: pasta in a creamy pecorino cheese and black pepper
sauce.
Porchetta: roasted pork with herbs, garlic and black pepper, typical from
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the roman countryside.

If we wanted to order food in a restaurant in Italy, we could use the following sentences:
Prendo un suppl`: Ill have a rice ball.
Prendo la pasta alla gricia: Ill have the pasta with guanciale and pecorino.
To order drinks, we could say to the waiter:
Posso avere una bottiglia di vino?: Can I have a bottle of wine?
Posso avere dellacqua?: Can I have some water?
And if we like our food, we could express our pleasure with the following easyto-remember adjectives:
` buono/a: Its nice (depending on whether the noun is masculine or femE
inine).
` buonissimo/a: Its really nice (depending on whether the noun is masE
culine or feminine).
Thats all for now, buon appetito (enjoy your meal)!

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Lesson 2: Stunning Landscape

We explore the beautiful Italian landscape of Italy which varies from the nord
(north) to the sud (south) of the peninsula and out to the isole (islands). Each
regione (region) is different, and the the landscapes include:
Citt`
a: Cities
Campagna: Countryside
Paesi: Villages
Montagne: Mountains
Mare: Sea
Colline: Hills
Campi: Fields
Vigneti: Vineyards
Fiumi: Rivers
Boschi: Woods
Scogliere: Cliffs
Vulcani: Volcanos
Laghi: Lakes
Canali: Canals
Piste da sci: Ski slopes
Spiagge: Beaches
To ask for directions to these places in Italian, we would say:
Dov `
e la spiaggia?: Where is the beach?
Dove sono le montagne?: Where are the mountains?
Il lago `
e qui vicino?: Is the lake near here?
Quanto tempo ci vuole per arrivare sulle piste?: How long does it take to
get to the slopes?
` lontana la citt`
E
a?: Is the city far away?
Come faccio ad arrivare in campagna?: How do I get to the countryside?
To describe the landscape we can see, we can use adjectives like:
Bello/a: Beautiful
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Stupendo/a: Wonderful
Favoloso/a: Fabulous
Fantastico/a: Fantastic
Impressionante: Impressive
Straordinario/a: Extraordinary
Mozzafiato: Breathtaking
Pittoresco/a: Picturesque
Animato/a: Bustling, busy
Some example sentences using the vocabulary above are:
Il bosco `
e bello: The wood is beautiful
La vista `
e mozzafiato: The view is breathtaking
I canali sono straordinari: The canals are extraordinary
Il paese `
e animato: The town is bustling
Quel vulcano `
e impressionante: That volcano is impressive
Questisola `
e stupenda: This island is wonderful
Thats all for now, buon viaggio (enjoy your trip)!

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Lesson 3: Romantic language

The romantic nature of Italy is instantly obvious when visiting places such as
fairy-tale Venezia (Venice) and beautiful Verona where people flock to La casa
di Giulietta (Juliets house), made famous from Shakespeares play Romeo and
Juliet. And at the Fontana di Trevi (Trevi fountain) in Roma, legend has it
that if you throw one coin it means youll return to Rome; throw two coins,
youll return to Rome and fall in love with an Italian; throw three coins, youll
return, find love, and marry an Italian!
It has become popular for i giovani innamorati (young lovers) of Rome to
hang i lucchetti (padlocks) on bridges to represent their everlasting amore
(love). This tradition came about following a well-known romantic book written by Federico Moccia, which tells of a love story set in Rome. In fact, there
are many books and films and songs about love in Italian, and heres an introduction to the vocabulary so you can understand or even experiment yourself
when visiting romantic Italy. . .
Frasi damore: Love phrases
Ti voglio bene: (TVB): I love you (used with family and friends, expresses affection you feel for them, like I wish all the best for you)
Ti amo: I love you (in a romantic way)
Ti adoro: I adore you
Amore mio: My love
Sono innamorato/a: I am in love (masculine / feminine)
Sei la mia anima gemella: You are my soul mate
Baciami: Kiss me
Mi manchi: I miss you
Thats all for now, good luck with your storia damore (love story)!

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Lesson 4: Friendly People

Ive met many friendly people in Italy over the years, and below we look at the
ways to express the different facets of friendship and universal personality traits
in the Italian language.
Amico/a: friend
Migliore amico/a: best friend
Amicizia: friendship
Ti voglio bene (TVB): I love you (used with family and friends, expresses
affection you feel for them, like I wish all the best for you)
Bacio: kiss
Abbraccio: hug
Carattere: character
Personalit`
a: personality
Ottimista: optimist
Pessimista: pessimist
Socievole: sociable
Estroverso: extrovert, outgoing
Divertente: fun
Buffo/a: funny
Affidabile: trustworthy
Diligente: hard-working
Testardo/a: stubborn
Geloso/a: jealous
Egoista: selfish
Orgoglioso/a: proud
See below some proverbi sullamicizia (proverbs on friendship):
Chi trova un amico trova un tesoro: He who finds a friend, finds a treasure.
Nel bisogno si conosce lamico: A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Lamico non `
e conosciuto finch
e non `
e perduto: You dont truly know
a friend until you lose him.

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Meglio soli che mal accompagnati: Its better to be alone rather than
with bad company.
Cuor sincero, amico vero: A sincere heart, a true friend.
` meglio il morso di un amico che il bacio di un nemico: A bite from a
E
friend is better than a kiss from an enemy.
Lamico certo si conosce nellincerto: In times of difficulty, youll know
your true friends.
Lamico di tutti non `
e amico di nessuno: A friend of everyone is a friend
of no one.
Se trovi un amico nuovo non obliar lantico: If you find a new friend
dont forget your old one.
Thats all for now, un bacio a tutti i miei amici (a kiss to all my friends)!

****
Alesha Keene is an Oxford graduate of Italian who is now back in London after
years spent living and working in Rome as a language teacher and PR consultant.
Alesha is CEO and Italian teacher at Aleshas Italian Masterclass, which runs
Italian immersion courses at authentic Italian cafe in Borough Market (London Bridge). You can contact her at mailto:italianmasterclass@hotmail.com or
through Facebook or Twitter. Her website it www.italianmasterclass.co.uk.

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Dual Language Article: Il Circolo

Byron Russell suggests setting up a circolo Italiano. Try reading or
translating the Italian version first then check with the English version
below.

Italian Version
UN CIRCOLO
Circolo letteralmente significa cerchio, ma indica anche un gruppo che si
incontra regolarmente per condividere un mutuo interesse. Se ti attira tutto
ci`o che `e italiano (e se stai leggendo questo articolo, allora scommetti di si!)
inserirti in un associazione italiana `e un ottima idea. Ma al di fuori delluniversit`a o delle scuole superiori, il problema e spesso trovare un gruppo del genere.
Dunque se non riesci a trovare un circolo al quale iscriverti, perche non ne crei
uno tu stesso?
DIVERTIMENTO, CIBO E UN PO DI CULTURA
Con litaliano raramente insegnato nelle scuole, la maggior parte delle persone
devono imparare la lingua da zero. Se parli italiano, puoi organizzare un corso
per principianti tu stesso o assumere un insegnante locale. Se non riesci a fare
questo, considera la possibilit`a di formare il tuo gruppo di studio a casa, incontrandovi una volta a settimana per studiare una lezione di uno degli eccellenti
corsi con filmati della BBC, come Italianissimo, o usare le svariete fonti disponibili sul web.
Laltro must-have per ogni circolo che si rispetti `e, naturalmente, il lato
sociale. Gite a ristoranti italiani locali, cinema, conferenze e proiezioni di diapositive sono alcune delle possibilit`a. Enoteche locali spesso inviano un rappresentante per una degustazione serale, a volte gratuitamente sul tacito accordo
che vender`a alcune casse, alla fine della manifestazione. Si potrebbe forse invitare un esperto per parlare di comprare una propriet`a in Italia. Tutti questi
sono eventi relativamente facili da organizzare.
ORGANIZZAZIONE
Hai semplicemente bisogno di tempo, una personalit`a estroversa, e un sacco
di entusiasmo. Dovresti anche avere delle doti di organizzatore! Prima di tutto
decidi cosa vuoi dal circolo - e chi potrebbero essere i membri del circolo. Quanto spesso vi incontrerete, e quale sar`a il contenuto dei primi incontri? Quanto
tempo puoi dedicare? Se non riesci a trovare almeno due o tre sere al mese
una per gli incontri e le altre per organizzare il tutto allora forse non hai
abbastanza tempo.
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10

Dovrai far conoscere lidea. Il passaparola puo essere sufficiente, anche se

potresti anche fare pubblicit`a nel giornale locale e nella gazzetta parrocchiale.
Se ne hai le capacit`a, considera la possibilit`a di creare un sito internet semplice.
Incomincia con un primo incontro avendo cura di preparare un buon programma.
Questo potrebbe sembrare troppo formale, ma senza un punto di partenza e uno
di arrivo, il primo incontro potrebbe essere lultimo! Qualsiasi cosa hai in mente
di fare, il denaro sar`a coinvolto prima o poi. Per tenere le cose trasparenti, apri
un conto separato in banca.
LA CILIEGINA SULLA TORTA
Se il tuo circolo sta andando molto bene, potresti provare lesperienza pi`u accattivante del circolo, organizzando un viaggio in Italia tutti insieme. Questo
pu`o essere un viaggio turistico o essere centrato intorno ad un tema, come la
fotografia, la cucina o la lingua. Puoi utilizzare i servizi di un agenzia di viaggi,
ma se ti senti coraggioso puoi organizzare il trasporto e lalloggio tu stesso,
ricercando una scuola di lingua, d arte o di cucina. Quale miglior modo per
finire un anno di studio della lingua dellandare nel Bel Paese per un lungo fine
settimana e mettere ci`o che avete imparato in pratica? Buon divertimento!

English Version
A CIRCOLO
A circolo is literally a circle, but also a group which meets regularly to share
a mutual interest, a club. If this interest is everything Italian (and if youre
reading this, thats a pretty safe bet!) then a great idea is to join an Italian
society. But outside a university or college the problem is often finding such a
group. So if you cant find a circolo to join, why not start one yourself?
FUN, FOOD AND CULTURE
With Italian rarely offered at school, most people have to learn the language
from scratch. If you speak Italian, you can set up a beginners course yourself,
or employ a local teacher. Failing these, consider forming your own home study
group, meeting once a week to go through a unit of one of the excellent BBC
video courses, such as Italianissimo, or using some of the many sources available
on the web.
The other must-have for any self-respecting circolo is, of course, the social
side. Outings to local Italian restaurants, films, talks and slide shows are all
possibilities. Local wine warehouses will often send a representative for a winetasting evening, sometimes for free on the tacit understanding that theyll sell
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11

a few cases at the end of the event. You could perhaps invite an expert to talk
about buying property in Italy. All of these are relatively straightforward events
to organise.
GETTING ORGANISED
All you need is a bit of time, an outgoing personality and lots of enthusiasm.
Ideally you should also have some organisational skills! First decide what you
want from the club and who are your potential members. How often will you
meet and what will the first few meetings be about? How much time can you
afford? If you cant dedicate at least two or three evenings a month one for the
meetings and the others for organisation then maybe you havent enough time.
You will need to market the idea. Word of mouth may be enough, though
you could also advertise in the local paper or parish gazette. If you have the
skills, consider setting up a simple website.
Begin with an initial meeting with a proper agenda. This may sound too formal,
but without a starting point and a place to go, the first meeting could be the
last! Whatever you plan to do, money will be involved somewhere. To keep
things transparent, set up a separate bank account.
THE ICING ON THE CAKE
If your circolo is going really well, you could try for the ultimate circolo experience and organise an Italian trip together. This can be straight- forward
tourism, or centred around a theme, such as photography, cookery or language.
You can use the services of a tour operator, but if youre feeling brave you can
fix the transport and accommodation yourself, researching a language, art or
cookery school. What better way to end a year of Italian classes than going to
Il Bel Paese for a long weekend, and putting what youve learned into practice?
Buon divertimento!

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12

Crosswords: Test your Vocabulary

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13

Across
1. Hello
5. bathroom
6. sea
8. house
9. stars
10. square
11. museum
14. kiss
16. swimmingpool
19. vineyards
21. red
22. white
23. fizzy
30. star
31. cold
34. wine
35. restaurant
36. expensive
37. villa
40. down
42. room
43. hug
45. up
46. flat
47. cities
48. water
51. mountains
52. funny
53. bill
54. good evening
55. street

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Down
2. love
3. price
4. dear
7. thanks
9. discount
12. left
13. beaches
15. pizza
17. road
18. shop
20. waiter
24. bread
25. bottle
26. sales
27. countryside
28. city
29. good morning
31. queue
32. right
33. ticket
37. view
38. good night
39. entrance
41. still
44. bar
47. hot
49. you are welcome
50. flowers
51. menuok

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Practise and Sing

Con Te Partir`
o, Andrea Bocelli

Quando sono solo

sogno allorizzonte
e mancan le parole,
Si lo so che non c`e luce
in una stanza quando manca il sole,
se non ci sei tu con me, con me.
Su le finestre
mostra a tutti il mio cuore
che hai acceso,
chiudi dentro me
la luce che
hai incontrato per strada.
Con te partir`o.
Paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te,
adesso si li vivr`o,
Con te partir`o
su navi per mari
che, io lo so,
no, no, non esistono pi`u,
con te io li vivr`o.

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Quando sei lontana

sogno allorizzonte
e mancan le parole,
e io s` lo so
che sei con me,
tu mia luna tu sei qui con me,
mio sole tu sei qui con me,
con me, con me, con me.
Con te partir`o.
Paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te,
adesso si li vivr`o.
Con te partir`o
su navi per mari
che, io lo so,
no, no, non esistono pi`u,
con te io li rivivr`o.
Con te partir`o
su navi per mari
che, io lo so,
no, no, non esistono pi`u,
con te io li rivivr`o.
Con te partir`o.
Io con te.

15